Mabel and the Animal Shelter
by twinkinu
Summary: Mabel starts volunteering at the Central Oregon SPCA. An ongoing series of one-shots. Humor, angst, hurt/comfort, adventure, and family bonding will all ensue. LATEST: Mabel is depressed when she learns about two dogs at the shelter who nobody wants to adopt. Dipper tries to make her feel better.
1. Summer Mission (part 1)

Title: Summer Mission (pt. 1)

Length: ~1250 words

Summary: If Mabel can't adopt these puppies, then she will do whatever it takes to make sure that someone does.

———

 _A/N: So I've been animal care staff at a no-kill shelter for almost two years, and I constantly get ideas for shenanigans I can imagine Mabel getting into if she had my job._

 _I'll just write her as a volunteer_ _because she's young, she's only in Gravity Falls for the summer, and she's much too pure to be burdened with all the politics and crap that goes on behind the scenes at a place like that. But: she's spunky, she's optimistic, and she visits that run-down shelter every day, determined to do whatever she can to make those animal lives better._

 _The first story is split into two parts, because it got a little lengthy, but all the others will be loosely-connected one-shots that can stand alone._

 _Happy reading!_

———

"Puppies!" Mabel squealed, giggling euphorically as they lapped playfully at her face. She struggled to hold all four of them at once, and Ford quickly lunged to catch one as it fell backward out of her arms.

The author placed the little brown mongrel back into his playpen on the floor. "They are very sweet," he granted, a polite smile gracing his lips.

"Yeah, yeah, the sweetest." Grunkle Stan gave his thirteen-year-old niece a slap on the back. "C'mon, you saw the puppies, now let's beat it. I still got a lotta sleep to catch up on after Poindexter dragged me halfway around the world chasin' after the kraken." Stan and Ford had only been back in Gravity Falls for a few days when Mabel and Dipper arrived, and while they thoroughly enjoyed their nautical adventures, they were both looking forward to staying in one place for a little while.

"But Grunkle Stan!" Mabel whined, arranging the three puppies in such a way that she had room to scoop the fourth one back into her arms. "You let me go a whole summer without knowing that the Central Oregon SPCA was this close to Gravity Falls, and now you wanna take me away from it?"

"Mabel, come on, let's just get back to the shack," Dipper groaned, siding with the older twins.

Grunkle Ford knelt down to Mabel's level, again taking a puppy from her as it started struggling to stay in her arms, which were just too small to safely hold all four dogs at once. "Soos and his Abuelita have been working very hard to prepare our rooms for us so that we can stay in the Shack for the summer," he reminded her. "And we hardly even gave them a proper greeting before we turned around and came here. They're leaving tomorrow morning to spend the summer with Melody's family in Portland, so we should be spending as much time with them as we can to thank them for their hospitality."

Mabel relaxed her puppy-holding muscles as she listened to her great uncle's words of reason, oblivious to the fact that the squirming mixed-breeds were slipping from her grasp. Ford caught a second fallen pup in his six-fingered hand and laid it safely beside its littermate in the playpen.

"Besides, wouldn't Waddles be jealous to know that you've been hanging around with other animals?"

Mabel pouted. "That's the _thing,_ Grunkle Ford!" She stomped her foot as the researcher quickly rescued a third pup from her ever-weakening grasp and returned it to its pen. She tightened her hug around the one remainder, a little black-and-tan puppy named Bear. "Waddles wouldn't be jealous! He's been wanting a new friend all year!"

Dipper, Stan, and Ford all shared identicle shocked expressions for a good two and a half seconds. When they responded, it was a simultaneous outburst of three very different reactions.

 _"No."_ Stan pointed a very firm finger in Mabel's direction. "Do you have _any_ idea how much those things poop? How _expensive_ they are?"

"Now, Mabel, I know you love the idea of a dog now, but they are a large responsibility." Even as Ford spoke calmly, his voice was lined with anxiety. "Besides, I'm afraid your parents won't let you come back to Oregon next year if you continue to bring home more pets-"

"Oh my God. We're getting a dog," Dipper panicked, gripping his hair in his hands and starting to pace nervously. "I'm not ready for this. He's gonna poop in my shoes. He's gonna tear up all my research."

"We are _not_ gettin' a dog, kid," Stan said with conviction. "The pig, okay, I could get behind that, but dogs are different. Dogs are smart. They're crafty."

"Pigs are smart, too," Mabel insisted.

"Yeah, but Waddles is dumb. You want a dog, you talk to your parents when you get home. But I ain't takin' care of some mutt while I try runnin' the shop for Soos all summer, ya hear?"

"Waddles is not dumb!"

"Regardless of the pig's intellect," Ford cut in. "You just can't have a dog, sweetheart. It's much more complicated than simply bringing home a puppy. We'll need a crate, dog food-"

"Toys, treats, collars, leashes," Dipper interrupted, already having analyzed the whole situation. "You'll have to train him like you did Waddles, but a lot faster and a lot firmer. Waddles was already kinda there, but a _puppy_? That's like starting from scratch! And he'll be _huge!_ Look at that thing's feet, Mabel! He's all little now, but he'll be twice Waddles's size in a matter of months! He'll be bigger than us before we turn 15! Not to mention vaccinations, vet care." He started listing things on his fingers.

"Stop," said Mabel, silencing her family. She looked down at the puppy in her arms. He was starting to fall asleep, its little fuzzy legs twitching. "I know I can't have a dog, but... it's just so sad. What did these puppies do to end up here? Every animal deserves to have a home." She put the puppy back down with its siblings, frowning. "I just wish I could help."

The boys exchanged glances, searching for a way to help console Mabel. All three of them came up empty.

But then, Mabel's face lit up. " _We_ can't give them a home, but _someone_ can! I could help get all of them adopted! I'll stay here, and I'll talk to the people who come in and try to convince the good families to adopt one of them! It shouldn't be too hard, there's only four of them, and they're super cute, and..." Mabel trailed off, looking at the tired faces of her family. "...And we'll have to stay longer." She sighed. "I really do miss Soos and Abuelita. And I know you guys wanna get back to the Shack..."

As disgusting as Stan personally found the idea of spending the day with a bunch of diarrhea-ridden animals, he knew that Mabel felt differently; his attitude softened when he saw how badly his niece wanted to stay and help the puppies find new homes. "Well, kid, you're a teenager now. You could probably hang out here for a while by yourself. Besides, Soos would be pretty ticked to think you left this little mission behind for _his_ sake."

"Yeah, and the shelter closes at six," Dipper chimed in. "So we can still pick you up in time for dinner."

"Those pups will sure appreciate your help," Ford added.

A hopeful grin lit up Mabel's face. "You'll really let me stay?"

"You kiddin'?" Stan ruffled his great niece's hair. "We'd start thinkin' there was something wrong if ya didn't kick off the summer with one of your 'good deeds' or whatever." He put air quotes around the phrase _'good deeds.'_

Mabel giggled, turning her attention to the clock on the wall. It was already 3:30. "Well, then it looks like I have two and a half hours to get four puppies adopted! No time to waste!" She hugged her brother tightly, then hugged each of her great uncles. "I'll see you soon!"

"Seeya soon, runt!"

"Buh-bye, Mabel!"

"Goodbye, dear."

Mabel's family smiled as they waved goodbye, heading out toward the parking lot.

Once they were gone, Mabel turned her attention to the four young'uns napping in a big snuggle pile in their playpen. "Well, pups, today is your lucky day. Because Mabel is here, and she's gonna get all of you guys adopted!" she optimistically declared, hands on her hips.

She had two and a half hours to find these puppies the perfect homes, and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she could do it.


	2. Summer Mission (part 2)

Title: Summer Mission (pt. 2)

Length: ~1500 words

Summary: If Mabel can't adopt these puppies, then she will do whatever it takes to make sure that someone does.

———

"Step right up! Come see the cutest puppies in the whole wide world, and for a small donation of one hundred dollars, they could be yours!"

Mabel stood by the playpen in the shelter's front lobby like a used car salesman, proudly holding up one of the fluffy little mongrels so the customers could see. "They can't wait to have a new home for the summer! All they want is love and a family to call their own!"

It wasn't too long before the first customers were pulled toward Mabel's magnetic personality. It was a young couple, one of them tall and dark-skinned, the other muscular and heavily freckled. They walked with their arms around each other's waists in a way that led Mabel to believe they had been together for years.

The taller man was the first to speak, bending down to scratch the little dog behind its ears. "He's so cute."

"He is pretty cute," the other man admitted. "What breed is he?"

"One hundred percent purebred D-A-W-G," Mabel declared, beaming with pride. "Two parts fluff, one part scruff, and all parts man's best friend!"

In no time, Mabel was able to talk them into taking the first puppy home; they ended up walking away with Gator, the little all-black doggie with drop ears and big, brown eyes.

The little russet-colored puppy Goose was adopted by a stay-at-home mom who wanted to spend more time with her kids over the summer while teaching them some responsibility.

A green-eyed redheaded girl with ribbons in her hair begged her mother for Minnow, the sable female with white paws, and eventually, with Mabel's help, was able to convince her to take the dog home.

Bear was the last puppy remaining, and already it was nearing five o'clock. Mabel was talking to a family now, a tired young mother and an uncertain-looking man who held a baby in his arms.

"This is the cutest puppy in the whole world, people! He's the floofiest and he has the biggest eyes and he has the curliest tail and he's so sweet! He even has little eyebrows!" Mabel pointed at the little tan circles above Bear's eyes.

"I don't know," the mother hesitated. "We had something a little smaller in mind. With the new baby and all..."

Her husband nodded in agreement. "I'm afraid he might accidentally hurt the baby."

"Well, he won't get big for a while," Mabel frowned, looking down at the puppy in her arms. "And you can train him to be gentle around the baby."

"I'm sorry, darling, but I don't know if we can handle that. In a few months, he'll be big and clumsy and knock everyone over. It's just not a good fit for us."

Mabel looked at her feet, dejected. "Okay. Good luck finding the right puppy," she muttered as the family walked away.

Mabel worked hard to persuade the next customers to adopt Bear, but she kept hearing more excuses.

"Do you have any lab puppies?"

"We were hoping for a smaller dog..."

"He's going to shed too much."

"Aren't there any females left?"

The clock was ticking dangerously close to 6:00, and Mabel was starting to give up. She sat on the floor, cradling the puppy in her arms. "Oh, Bear-Bear. Everyone is so picky... but they don't have to look hard to find the perfectest pup. I know how sweet and cute you are. Why doesn't anyone else?"

The shelter staff was starting their closing duties, mopping the floors, cleaning the windows, and sorting through donations. A small bell signaled that more people were entering the lobby, and Mabel looked up hopefully, but frowned when she saw it was her family. "Oh. Hey, guys."

"Well, ya don't gotta act so happy to see us," Grunkle Stan quipped, a smile on his face.

"Sorry," Mabel sighed. "But you being here means it's six o'clock. And six o'clock means I'm out of time. And Bear never found a home."

"It's actually 5:30. We came kinda early," Dipper explained, hoping it might raise his sister's spirits. "Soos was gonna try to wait the full two and a half hours, but..."

"Oh man, the idea of Mabes spending quality time with little puppers without me? Could not handle it," Soos laughed, plopping down on the floor beside Mabel and taking the sleepy puppy from her arms. He tickled its little round belly to wake it up. It let out an adorable little yawn and stretched its legs. "Oh, dude, Melody and I really wanted to get a dog soon. Too bad she went to Portland ahead of Abuelita and me, or we could get one now."

Mabel's eyes lit up. "Soos, you didn't tell me you were gonna get a dog!"

"Sorry, dude. Melody and I were real busy trying to figure out how we could puppy-proof the shack. That place is dangerous. Do you have any idea how many trap doors and stuff Dr. Pines put in there?"

The thirteen-year-old threw her arms up. "Soos, this is perfect! You can start training the puppy in Portland so he's bigger and stronger and won't get in as much trouble when you move back into the shack! And we can all help puppy-proof it while you're gone!" Mabel was getting really excited, and a little bit ahead of herself.

Millions of things that could go wrong instantly swarmed Dipper's mind. "That might not be such a good idea," he cautioned. "Melody's family probably won't be too thrilled about having a new puppy in their house, for one-"

"Yo, dude, are you kidding? Melody's family _loves_ puppies!"

"Yeah, but-"

"Hang on, dude, gotta facetime her." Soos pulled his phone out of his pocket, and Dipper sighed, accepting defeat.

But when he looked over at his sister, who was watching Soos with huge, hopeful eyes, an incredible beaming smile across her face, it was hard to feel anything but pride for the success that she was about to obtain. And maybe he felt a little happy for those puppies, too. They really were lucky to have Mabel Pines on the case to get them home.

 _"Hello?"_ A metallic version of Melody's voice spoke from Soos's phone.

"Dude, Mel. Check out this dog, dawg." He tilted the camera down to the puppy he held in his arm.

 _"Oh my God_ _. Can we get him?"_ "That's what I was gonna ask you!"

 _"I'll start buying supplies,"_ she said excitedly. _"See you tomorrow, Soos! Can't wait!"_ "Can't wait. Love you, dude!"

 _"Love you!"_

Soos put his phone away, then looked at Mabel with a dopey grin. "So who do I talk to about taking this little sack of cuteness home?"

Mabel squealed in delight, tackling Soos in a big hug.

When Mr. Mystery was summoned by a staff member to start the adoption process (and Abuelita followed him without hesitation, opening her purse), Mabel looked up at her approaching family with pride. "I did it!"

"Don't act so surprised, runt. We knew ya would."

"You did an excellent job, Mabel," Grunkle Ford agreed, patting her shoulder.

"And now one of the puppies gets to come home with us, after all," Dipper pointed out. "Even if he'll leave with Soos in the morning."

"You were very good at finding homes for all of those pups." An unfamiliar voice emerged from behind Mabel, and the girl turned on her heel to see a tall brunette woman with kind eyes and a smile on her face. "I'm Danielle, the manager here." She squatted down to level with Mabel. "I wanted to thank you for getting all of those puppies adopted."

"No problem!" Mabel chirped. "I'm always happy to help!"

"But, you know, the puppies are the easy part. Everybody wants a puppy. It's the big grown-up dogs that _really_ need help finding new homes."

"What do you mean?"

The manager stood, gesturing for Mabel to follow her down a hallway to their left. "Those puppies were playing in the front lobby for the day, but back here is where all of the kennels are."

Mabel widened her eyes, looking around her in wonder at all the dogs. There was a room to her right with big kennels that lined the walls like stables, where large dogs napped or licked their paws or scratched at the glass and whined. To her left, a door led to a room full of kennels for small and medium dogs.

"There will always be animals who need homes. That's why we have this place here, to help all the lost pets in need..." She trailed off, but then looked down at Mabel and smiled. "You did great today. You'd make an awesome volunteer, you know. Then, you could help find homes for all these guys."

Mabel looked at the homeless pets around her. A feeling of determination gripped her heart, and she looked up at Danielle with a confident sparkle in her eyes. "Where do I sign up?"


	3. People Person

Title: People Person

Length: ~900 words

Summary: Upon discovering that Grunkle Stan doesn't have a particular affinity for either cats or dogs, Grunkle Ford, Mabel, and Dipper try to determine what kind of pet would suit the old codger best.

———

The Pines family was gathered at the kitchen table enjoying a breakfast of Stancakes and bacon, and Mabel was prattling on about her first week volunteering at the Central Oregon SPCA. She gushed about all of the people and animals that she's already had the pleasure of meeting despite only having been to the shelter three times so far.

"They have cats, too! They have this one cat, her name is Camilla, and her fur is so long and soft! She's blind so you have to be careful not to scare her, but then you get to brush her and she'll sit in your lap and purr and purr and purr..."

"Ugh. Cats."

Ford put down his fork and looked at his brother, a quizzical expression on his face. "You don't like cats, Stanley?"

"Ya can't trust 'em," Stan grumbled, stabbing a piece of his flapjack with his fork and shoving it into his mouth. "One minute, everything's dandy, and the next, out come the claws. Ya scream, the cat runs away, next thing ya know the girl's laughin' at ya and you're sent home twenty minutes early with nothing to show for the night."

When Ford started chuckling, Stan was quick to thump him on the back of the head.

"It's not funny, Sixer!"

Ford just laughed harder. "You told me that some school bully cut your hand with a knife! But it was just a scratch from your girlfriend's cat?"

Stan glowered at the kids when they started laughing, too. His cheeks pinked. "She told all her friends I was scared of-" He cut himself off, glancing at the kids and deciding to censor the rumor that the girls had started. "That I was scared of _cats."_

The author widened his eyes, then erupted with laughter, pounding a fist on the table. "I remember that! You had to go out with every cheerleader on the team before they stopped spreading that around!"

The younger twins were also having fits of giggles at Grunkle Stan's expense, enjoying the story despite not fully understanding the nature of the rumor.

Stan just stewed in silence until the mockery wore off, blushing furiously as he endured it.

When Mabel recovered from her fit of laughter and her sides stopped aching, she asked, "So, you're a dog person? Dogs are super cute, so it would make sense if you like them the best."

Grunkle Stan grimaced, crossing his arms. "Dogs ain't my cup of tea, either."

"But dogs are so loyal and understanding, and they love you no matter what," Dipper reasoned. "Dogs seem perfect for you."

"Listen, I don't wanna talk about it. Let's just say I had a lot of... _'friends'_ back when I was makin' it on my own. Lotsa friends. And sometimes when my friends and I had... _disagreements,_ ' they would let their dogs do the arguin' for 'em. That's all I'm gonna say."

Ford eyed a couple of puncture scars on his twin's arm and decided not to press the issue.

Mabel accepted the challenge of finding what sort of pet her Grunkle Stan would like, and she tapped her chin while she considered the options. "What about..." She gasped with a huge smile when she felt a familiar fuzzy warmth brush up against her leg. "Pigs!" She hoisted Waddles up into her lap, hugging him tightly. "If you're not a dog person or a cat person, you must be a pig person!"

Stan scowled. "Pigs are for food. Waddles is a special exception, since ya love him so much."

The girl huffed, tightening her hug on the piglet protectively.

"How about lizards?" Dipper suggested. "They're dry and wrinkly and they don't do anything. Like you."

"Why, you little-"

"Oh! I know! Birds!" Mabel chimed.

"No, no, he hates birds. When we were children he would throw rocks at seagulls to keep them away from the Stan O' War."

"Well... Rabbits?"

"Too high maintenance," Stan protested.

"Horses? Maybe?"

"Too expensive."

"Well, perhaps a gnome would strike your fancy?"

"I'm gonna kill you, Sixer."

Mabel frowned, thinking hard about more pets that Stan might like to keep. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that he must prefer the company of other humans more than that of animals. "Maybe you're just a people person?"

That earned hearty laughs all around the table.

"I think that you should give cats and dogs a second chance," she said decisively, taking a sip from her orange juice.

Stan rolled his eyes, but he offered a small smile. "Listen, sweetie, havin' you two runts to take care of is more than enough for me. I'm old and fragile, and you're needy and annoying." Mabel stuck her tongue out at the old man, and he ruffled her hair. "You're provin' my point, kiddo."

"Nuh-uh! Dipper's the annoying one! I'm the one you love!"

"Hey!" Dipper punched his sister lightly on the shoulder.

Grunkle Stan pointed finger guns at his great niece, clicking his tongue. "You got that right, pun'kin."

Dipper punched Stan this time. "Shut up!"

"Aw, c'mere, you little dork," Stan grinned, grabbing the thirteen-year-old boy and pulling him in for a noogie.

Ford smiled as the scene played out before him. Maybe Stan was a people person, after all.


	4. Love-a-Bull

Title: Love-a-Bull

Length: ~1200 words

Summary: Grunkle Stan, who's been involved in more than a couple of dog fighting rings in his time, cautions Mabel about the number of pit bulls at the shelter. Mabel decides that it's high time her uncle learned a lesson.

———

Mabel wanted to spend all of her time at the shelter, but Grunkle Stan was adamant that she stayed home to work in the Mystery Shack at least every other day. Even on the days that she did get to go volunteer, she got picked up after just a couple of hours. Since Soos was in Portland, Dipper was off investigating paranormal activity with Ford most days, and Wendy offered minimal help, Stan really needed another set of hands around to keep business moving smoothly.

It was Saturday now, and Stan had agreed to keep the Shack closed on weekends (partially due to the lack of summer help but mostly because Soos insisted that Stan didn't stay open seven days a week, "no exceptions, close the Shack all summer if you have to, just make sure you're getting some of that good old me-time, alright, Mr. Pines?"). This meant that not only did Mabel get to stay at the shelter all day, but Dipper, Grunkle Stan, and Grunkle Ford were gonna let her show them around. She was ecstatic.

She pulled Stan by the hand through the dog hallway after deciding that he would probably enjoy the dogs more than the cats. "Here's all the big dogs! There were fourteen of them on Thursday, but I think a couple got adopted since then..." She looked around at the empty kennels, satisfied to see that some dogs had found their homes.

"Yeesh, there's an awful lotta pit bulls in here, isn't there?"

"There _are_ an awful lot of pit bulls in here," Ford corrected. "Grammar, Stanley."

Stan didn't pay him any mind. "Are there always this many pit bulls?"

Mabel nodded, frowning. "I guess they're banned in a lot of cities around here, so when they get taken away from people who have them illegally, they come here. They get mistreated so much... It's really sad."

Stan was only half-listening to her, a concerned, protective feeling churning in his stomach. "I wanna make sure you're not doing anything with those dogs, okay, Mabel?"

The girl looked up at him, nonplussed. Ford and Dipper both mirrored her expression. "Why?"

"Listen, kid. I've had plenty of encounters with pit bulls in my life, and none of them were good. I don't want you in danger."

Mabel just gawked at him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. A long, thick silence passed as they stared each other down, then Mabel finally spoke. "I have literally fought against an infinitly powerful dream demon who intended to lay waste to our entire universe. And you're worried about me getting near a little pibble?"

"Yeah, no offense Grunkle Stan, but you kind of sound like an idiot."

"The kids have a point, Stanley. Plenty of research exists suggesting that the breed of a particular dog has very little to do with tendency toward aggression. That usually has more to do with specific lineage of the animal and its training and upbringing."

"Shut up, Poindexter. What do you know?"

"Actually–"

"Don't answer that." Stan turned back to Mabel. "Here's the thing. I may or may not have made some enemies stealin' money from dog fight rings back in the eighties. And I may or may not have been caught by some punk with too many tattoos and he may or may not have stuck his dogs on me. I may or may not have had to give myself stitches. Pit bulls bite hard. And they don't let go."

"All dogs bite hard..." Dipper said slowly, squinting up at his grunkle.

"Grunkle Stan! That's so awful! I'm really sorry." Mabel wrapped her arms around Stan's legs, hugging him tight. "That man sounds like a real butthead."

"He _was_ a real butthead," Stan agreed.

"And _that's_ why all his dogs were buttheads, too."

"Yeah, Grunkle Stan. Pit bulls are bred to be really loyal to their owners, so people who wanna train really aggressive dogs choose pit bulls so there's less of a chance of the dog turning on the owner," Dipper explained.

"You kids are so stubborn, you know that?" The ex conman knelt down so he could make proper eye contact with the niblings. "Listen. Even if you're right, just humor me for the summer. Stay away from those things while you're on my watch. I don't wanna have the job of tellin' your parents how your arms got bit off."

Mabel narrowed her eyes. Dipper immediately recognized the determined look on his sister's face and took a step back, hands raised in an appeasing manner. "You've done it now, Grunkle Stan," he warned as Mabel stomped away.

"What? Where's she goin'?"

Mabel walked right into the kennel of Isaac, a big, muscley pit bull with cropped ears and a huge, goofy grin.

"Mabel, get out of there."

The thirteen-year-old looked her great uncle dead in the eye and sat down, rousing the lazy bulldog from his nap.

"Mabel!"

She shoved her hand in the dog's mouth defiantly. Isaac pulled away, spitting out her hand, and blinked at her in confusion before laying his big head in her lap and falling back asleep. "Oh, God," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Get me away from this horrible, viscious monster."

"Listen, sweetie," Stan sighed. "I'm not saying _all_ pit bulls are dangerous-"

"That's literally exactly what you were saying," Dipper interrupted.

"Grunkle Stan! I _know_ that you know that whatever those dogs did to you had _nothing_ to do with the breed!"

"And, as I recall, it wasn't a pit bull that nearly bit your butt off when we were kids," Ford added, a smile on his face.

"Hey, don't bring that up!"

"That was a golden retriever, actually, wasn't it, Stanley? You've never held a grudge against them."

"Did a golden retriever really bite you on the butt?" Dipper tried to suppress his giggles.

"That was different."

"How?"

"Come on, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel whined. "Not all pit bulls are mean! Just like not all golden retrievers are nice. Spend some time with the pitties here today. Just an hour. Please?" Mabel put on her best and biggest puppy dog eyes. "I know you'll love them."

Stan sighed, knowing that he had no choice. The girl was just as stubborn as he was, if not more, and the force of her positive energy made that stubbornness all the more powerful. "Alright, alright. But just an hour, okay?"

 _"Yes!"_ The girl fist-pumped in triumph, then patted the sleepy bully beside her. "Now, come on! We can start with Isaac. He's big and lazy and he has a super squooshy face."

Stan huffed and reluctantly entered the kennel with his niece, sitting cross-legged on the floor and pulling her into his lap.

Grunkle Ford watched the two of them, amused. "The Stanley Pines I knew never would have conceded defeat to an argument like that. And he _certainly_ would never have been open to the idea of changing his mind," the author mused to Dipper.

The boy nodded, watching as Stan reached out a hesitant hand and scratched the large white dog behind the ears. "Actually, the Stan Pines we know would never do that either."

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Then would you care to explain this instance?"

"Mabel," Dipper said simply. "It's the power of Mabel."


	5. Sixer the Cat

Title: Sixer the Cat

Length: ~1050 words

Summary: "Grunkle Ford, this cat looks more like you than Grunkle Stan does!" "Mabel, I came here because you told me there was an emergency." "Look at his _face!"_

———

"Hello?" Ford took the phone from Dipper and spoke into it.

"Hey Grunkle Ford!" Mabel shrieked, causing the scientist to pull the phone away from his ear.

"Greetings, Mabel. Why didn't you call me on my phone?"

"Because you never answer it and this is an emergency so I called Dipper so he would pick up the phone so he could give it to you so I could tell you to come down here because you have to come down here right now because it's an _emergency,_ Grunkle Ford!"

"Okay, okay, dear, just try to calm down." She always rambled on endlessly when she got overexcited. Ford took a deep breath, resisting the panic that was building in his chest. If Mabel was going to be manic about this, whatever it was, then Ford had to be calm for her. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Do I need to get Stan?"

"No, just get down here! Please! I'll explain when you're here!"

"It's nearly ten minutes to drive from Gravity Falls to the shelter, Mabel. Are you sure you'll be okay until then?"

"Yes! Just _hurry!"_

"Alright. I'll be on my way."

Mabel hung up as soon as Ford agreed to come, and the old man returned the cell phone to Dipper. "Do I need to come, too?" the boy asked.

"No, Stanley needs you to work the gift shop. I can handle whatever it is on my own." Ford patted his nephew on the head before getting his coat and walking up the stairs, anxious to arrive at the shelter as soon as possible.

When he got there, he frantically asked a young woman at the front desk if she knew where his niece was ('A young girl, about yea high, stickers on her face and glitter in her hair?') and he was pointed in the direction of the cattery ('Oh, you must mean Mabel! Your niece is quite the ray of sunshine, sir. She's already best friends with everybody here!'). He rushed down the hall and into the cat area, where he saw his niece sitting on the floor, an enormous grin on her face, a large cat hugged to her chest.

"Mabel? What's wrong?"

"Grunkle Ford!" the thirteen-year-old squealed, holding the cat up like she was announcing the birth of a new lion cub. "Look at him!"

"What happened, dear? Are you hurt?"

"No, I needed to show you this kitty!"

Ford blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"This kitty! If you were a cat, you would be this one, I just know it!"

"Is this really why you called me here?"

"You don't understand! Grunkle Ford, this cat looks more like you than Grunkle Stan does!"

"Mabel, I came here because you told me there was an emergency."

"But look at his _face!_ He's got big nervous owl eyes just like you!"

"This does _not_ qualify as an emergency, Mabel."

Mabel huffed, standing up to get closer to her great uncle before holding the cat out again. "Just _look_ at him! Please?"

The cat was enormous, easily weighing a good twenty pounds. Its fur was long and lush, a silver-grey color streaked with darker blue tiger stripes. Orange-cream fur embellished the under of his cheeks and the edges of his white belly. He looked up at Ford with large, circular eyes that were a brilliant amber-green. It was a very handsome cat.

Ford sighed. He may as well humor her. "I am flattered that you think that if I were a cat, I would be this striking. But I'm afraid I don't see the resemblance."

"What?! His fur is fluffy and feels like a cloud, just like yours! And he's got two colors of grey, like you do. And he's really big, like how you're all big and strong. And he's grouchy and he doesn't like to be cuddled but if you get to know him then he's the biggest lovebug in the whole shelter- he's been letting me hold him like a teddy bear for twenty minutes! And, Grunkle Ford, look at his little paws!" She thrust the cat up toward the author once more, and this time Ford gently took it from her arms, feeling a little bad that the animal had to be subjected to Mabel's rough handling.

He did as she said and gently took one of the cat's front paws between two of his fingers, inspecting it curiously. His lips parted, a small gasp passing through them as he saw what Mabel was talking about: the cat had six toes.

"Hannah is the main cat lady here, and she told me that sometimes Maine Coons get born with more than five toes on each paw. She said we don't get them here a whole lot, though. So I was really excited to show you..."

Ford crouched down, gently setting the cat on the floor, and put a hand on Mabel's shoulder. "Thank you for showing me, Mabel," he smiled.

Mabel nodded quickly. "Everybody was so excited when he came in... They kept saying how beautiful he was and how great all his extra toes were and how cool he was, and it made me think of how people didn't even like all your fingers when you were growing up, because people are stupid and dumb. I thought he looked like you before anyone even noticed he was a po- a polydoct- a-"

"Polydactyl?"

"Mhm. I loved him before we even noticed he was polydactyl, and then I was thinking about that and how if people got to know you before they made fun of your fingers, maybe they would see how cool you were and then realize that having extra fingers just means you're extra cool."

Ford felt pride for his niece (and even a little bit for his hands) swell within him. Mabel really, truly was a ray of sunshine.

"And he was a stray cat, and since I liked him so much and I thought he looked like you they let me help brush him and pet him and feed him treats. They even let me name him!"

"And may I ask what you named him?" Ford inquired, smiling warmly at his niece.

Mabel scooped the kitty back into her arms and held him close, beaming at her uncle. "Sixer!" she chirped. "His name is Sixer."

———

 _Please remember to leave a review! I'll post the next story when the fic has five reviews! (I hate doing stuff like this, but I would love some encouragement and validation as well as some useful criticism to help me improve my writing!)_

 _Happy New Year!!_


	6. Damian and Jarro

Title: Damian and Jarro

Length: ~1075 words

Summary: Mabel is depressed when she learns about two dogs at the shelter who nobody wants to adopt. Dipper tries to make her feel better.

———

Mabel was deep inside of Sweater Town, flipping through the shelter album on her phone and looking at all the pictures of dogs that she had taken in the few weeks that she'd been volunteering there. Every dog in every photo that she took had either been adopted already or had only in the shelter for a week or two.

Isaac, the big, white, meaty pittie ended up with a loving family who already had an orange pit bull and an elderly basset hound for him to make friends with.

A family of five with no children older than Mabel fell in love with Bubba, a white lab-daschund-basset mix with pendulum ears and a zest for life.

The skittish yellow pariah dog Splinter ended up with a young man trying to get his life back on track.

Belladonna, the little eight-year-old black pomeranian who spun in circles when she got excited had gone home to an old widow in need of a best friend.

Even Lily, a rottweiler-Rhodesian ridgeback mix who guarded her food and had serious impulse control issues went home with a young veteran who fell in love with her crazy antics and liked the idea of a project dog.

But there were two dogs that had been at the shelter since Mabel started, and customers rarely even showed any interest in them.

According to Danielle, they had actually been there for almost two years already. But nobody wanted them.

And that was so _sad._

Grunkle Stan poked his head into Mabel's room. "Uh, Mabel? Sweetie? Poindexter accidentally ruined the oven-"

Distantly, from downstairs, Grunkle Ford's voice could be heard: "It wasn't an accident, and it's not ruined, Stanley! I'm _improving_ it!"

"Whatever, nerd!" Stan called back. He softened his voice again as he returned his attention to Mabel. "Anyway, we ordered pizza for dinner. It's gonna get here in less than thirty, so get your butt down here soon, okay, kid?"

"M'kay," Mabel mumbled.

Stan could barely hear her voice through her sweater. He frowned. "Is there..." _How d'you deal with sad kids, again?_ "Ya wanna talk?"

"Sweater Town isn't accepting outside calls right now," Mabel exasperated. She flopped onto her side but kept her face covered.

"Well, can I leave a message?"

Mabel said nothing in return, so Stan went on.

"I paid extra to get your dumb disgusting pineapple pizza, so when it gets here, ya better come down and enjoy it."

He started to walk away, then came back for a moment and bit his lip. "And, uh, Mabel. I love ya. Or whatever."

When Mabel heard the soft _click_ of the door closing, she peered out from behind her cowl neck and frowned, considering the idea of talking to her grunkle about it. But, Stan really didn't seem like the type to sympathize with animals, so she decided against it.

Back to Sweater Town it was.

——

Ford was the next one to enter Mabel's room, poking his owlish head in hesitantly.

"Mabel, dear, the pizza's arrived."

"Not hungry."

"I didn't expect you to be... Mabel, you've been in here ever since you came home from volunteering. Is there anything that we can do?"

"No."

The author sighed. "Okay, dear. Let me know if you change your mind."

 _Click._

——

"Um, hey, Mabel," Dipper said softly. "Pizza's been here for twenty minutes. Grunkle Stan said I should just bring you some, so you can eat up here if you're hungry. You know, so you can still be alone."

Mabel peaked out from her sweater. "Thank you," she said in a small voice.

Dipper nodded, sitting beside his sister on the bed and offering her a paper plate with a slice of pineapple pizza, extra cheese. Mabel pushed her arms back into her sleeves to accept the plate and started eating quietly.

They sat in silence for a while, Dipper twiddling his thumbs while Mabel finished her pizza. When she put the plate down on the floor, letting Waddles eat the crust, Dipper spoke up.

"So, did something bad happen at the shelter?"

"Not really," Mabel whined. "It's just..." Maybe Dipper would understand. "Today I asked about these two dogs that haven't been adopted since I started volunteering. Their names are Damian and Jarro."

"Uh huh?"

"And it turns out they've been there for, like, years! And no one wanted to adopt them! No one still wants to adopt them..."

"Well, what's wrong with them?"

"Nothing!" the girl exclaimed, throwing her arms up in frustration. "That's what's so _stupid_ I mean, I guess they would be harder to adopt out because there's two of them. They've been together their whole lives, so they have to go home together. They get really anxious when they're alone. And also they're really old... Damian is ten, and Jarro is fourteen. And people don't like adopting old dogs."

"Kind of the same way a lot of people don't want to adopt big dogs, either, right?"

"Oh... yeah. They're big, too, I guess. Well, Jarro is medium-big-sized, like only fiftyish pounds. But Damian huge! He's, like, eighty pounds! And he's really skinny... And he's shy. He gets all growly and nervous around new people, and sometimes he snaps if they get too close to Jarro..."

Dipper bit his lip. "You have to admit, Mabel, it sort of sounds like there's a lot wrong with them."

Mabel huffed. "But they're so sweet!" she defended. "Damian is big and cream-colored and he has one ear that always flops over and one that sticks straight up! And Jarro is so fluffy and black all ovrr except for he has little brown eyebrows and white whiskers on his face."

Dipper smiled a little bit. "Well, if they're so sweet, someone's gotta see that eventually. Right?"

"I guess..."

"They'll get adopted, Mabel," Dipper smiled, putting a hand on his twin's shoulder. "The right time will come, I promise."

Mabel sighed, feeling a little bit better. "Yeah... I just wish the right time was sooner."

"Hey, how about tomorrow, we drag the old men out there and all four of us can play with Damian and Jarro."

The girl smiled, showing all her teeth. "I love you, Dip Dip."

Dipper chuckled. "Heh. You too, dumb-dumb." He flicked her headband out of place. "Now let's get downstairs and help Grunkle Ford with the oven.""How about _you_ help him, and I sit with Grunkle Stan and make fun of you guys?"

"Sounds like a plan."

———

 _You will be seeing more of Damian and Jarro... they're inspired by some real-life mutts who touched my heart!_

 _Don't hesitate to leave a review or pm me with any ideas or requests for future chapters! I'm all about the requests!!_


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